FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2026) - Atlanta United 2 drew 1-1 with Inter Miami CF II on Friday at Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Cameron Dunbar set a new Atlanta United 2 record with eight key passes, including his league-leading 11th assist, and Atlanta won its first penalty shootout of the season 5-4.
Miami created a big opportunity to take the lead in the fifth minute. From a free kick, center back Rondell White chipped a ball into the right side of the box to striker Mateo Saja. With Matthew Senanou running over to cover Saja, second striker Diego Rey was left open in the middle, and Saja found him with a quick pass. Rey struck the ball toward goal with a first-time shot on his left, but it narrowly curled outside the near post for a goal kick.
In the 32nd minute, Atlanta, who had dominated the early play, nearly found the opener through a Dominik Chong Qui solo run. After receiving a long pass from Senanou at the back, Chong Qui touched the ball down to Dunbar, who quickly returned the pass. Dribbling to the edge of the box, Chong Qui cut inside, beating two defenders. With another defending lurking, Chong Qui quickly changed direction, touching the ball onto his left foot before striking it toward the far post. However, the shot spun narrowly wide.
In the final minute of first-half stoppage time, Miami grabbed the first goal against the run of play. From an Atlanta free kick near the Miami box that was cleared, midfielder Theo Vorenkamp set Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida free on the left side. Running down the length of the pitch in a one-versus-one with D.D. Sibrian, Zeltzer-Zubida entered the box and cut inside to his right before slicing a shot into the bottom right corner of the net, giving Miami the lead.
Santiago Pita narrowly missed an equalizer from a moment of individual skill in the 64th minute. Beginning with a fake pass and turn on the right sideline, Pita dribbled up the pitch, beating a defender with a ball roll and body feint on the way to the box. With another defender standing firm to prevent passage through, Pita stuttered before cutting inside to his left and opened up space for a shot at the top of the box. The ensuing left-footed strike from Pita was hard and low, but it was marginally wide of the left post.
In the 78th minute, Atlanta got the decisive goal on Dunbar’s league-leading 11th assist. With the ball on the right wing, Dunbar used a body feint to beat his defender and dribble the ball into the box and to the goal line. Seeing Patrick Weah standing at the near post, Dunbar’s ensuing pass was right on the mark, allowing Weah to score with a first-time finish from a foot away.
Arif Kovac almost claimed the win for Atlanta in the 86th minute. Dunbar, once again the architect, found himself in a two-versus-two situation with Kovac in the box after a line-breaking pass from Weah. With the opportunity to shoot, Dunbar opted for a lateral pass to Kovac standing centrally, who struck the ball hard toward goal, but the shot careened downward off the top crossbar and back into play.
As the match entered the extra-point penalty shootout, both teams missed two penalties in the initial five attempts to send the match into sudden death. On Miami’s seventh penalty of the night, Judeson Adeclat shot the ball to the left, but Ransom dove the same way and used a strong hand to make a key save. Daniel Chica, the decisive penalty-taker for Atlanta, then stepped up and calmly placed the ball into the top right corner of the net to make it 5-4, giving Atlanta its first extra-point of the season.
Atlanta United 2 (12-8-5, 42 points) returns to action Tuesday, Sept. 8, when it returns home to face CT United FC (2 p.m. ET, MLSNEXTPro.com, OneFootball App, Soccer Down Here).
